Political parties set sights on winning strategic councils in KwaZulu-Natal

The Msunduzi local municipality, which serves as the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal, is among the key municipalities that political parties are eyeing ahead of November 4 elections.

The council anchored in Pietermaritzburg, in the province’s Midlands region, is currently governed by an ANC majority, courtesy of its overwhelming victory during the 2021 local government elections. Out of the 81 municipal seats, the ANC controls 40, the DA 16, EFF 10 while the IFP has 8 seats and the other remaining seats are shared among the smaller parties. The municipality which has failed numerous times to be declared a metro controls just over R10 bn budget.

Professor Musa Xulu, a KZN based social researcher, told the Mail&Guardian that indications are that the municipality will be governed by a coalition.

“It has become clear that the KZN Metro of eThekwini and its two major cities of uMhlathuze and uMsunduzi are likely to end up with not a single political party scoring an outright majority. We can expect coalition governments there,” Prof Xulu said.

He also pointed out that while the MK party did look to be on the growth trajectory, its internal instability and dictatorial tendencies have made some voters to be very sceptical, fearing that these negative tendencies may spill over to Municipalities.

“The Leadership of the MKP is also highly unlikely to attract investors due to their association with State Capture, which keeps them in courts.The ANC ,after suffering a blow in 2024 with the emergence of the MKP, seems to be on the upward trajectory, they don't seem able to command the absolute majority,” he observed.

According to Xulu, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) has been doing its own internal polls which, at face value, seem to push the DA upwards, it was unlikely to materialise into votes. “The reality, however, is that perceptions of white supremacy limit the DA's ability to grow, in real terms.”

Other key municipalities closely watched include another ANC-led KwaDukuza local municipality. With just close to R4bn budget, the council is strategically located and covers prime residential areas of Ballito and Zimbali, among others. It has been plagued by internal skirmishes between the ANC factions, forcing two mayoral changes in the current term. It is under the iLembe region, considered one of the strongholds of the MK party.

In the city of uMhlathuze, a former ANC-led council snatched by the IFP during the last local government elections, contestation is also expected to be tense. But the IFP solicited the assistance of the DA and EFF to govern the municipality. The municipality has an allocated budget of about R6.4bn. It houses key economic hubs such the Richards Bay ports and other heavy chemical and metal industries.

Dr Zakhele Shamase, a University of Zululand contemporary politics expert, believes there will be no outright winner in the council.

“The IFP remains strong. But the emergence of the MK party also poses danger for them. We are likely to see an IFP or MK party-led coalition in the municipality,” he stated.